Worker dies as under-construction showroom collapses in Mohali

Another building collapse in less than a month here has claimed the life of a labourer and left three injured. The lintel of an under-construction two-storey showroom came crashing down on them in TDI City, Sector 118, this afternoon.

The deceased has been identified as Jaswinder Singh (41), a resident of Chuhar Majra near Landran.

On December 21, the collapse of a three-storey building had claimed the lives of two youths in Sohana. The gym-cum-PG facility came crashing down amid digging work being carried without proper permission in the adjacent plot.

The three injured in the TDI City incident — Uday Paswan (42), Karan Kumar (30) and Kuldeep Paswan (25), all residents of Aerocity — were admitted to the Phase-6 Civil Hospital. One of them sustained serious injuries.

The supervisor was not present at the spot at the time of the incident, which took place around 4.30 pm.

According to the eyewitnesses, the lintel of the second floor of the showroom was being laid when the first floor collapsed and six workers were trapped in the rubble. A few workers jumped off the building and escaped with minor injuries.

Local residents raised the alarm, following which the workers trapped in the debris were rescued and rushed to the hospital.

Tehsildar Arjun Grewal and SP (Rural) Manpreet Singh reached the spot and oversaw the rescue work.

The local residents, meanwhile, claimed that excess load caused the collapse. The lintel had no support on one side.

“In most such accidents, it is the poor labourers who die while the building owners, contractors and government officials get away,” one of the locals said. Grewal said an inquiry would be conducted. “A technical committee is probing the Sohana building collapse and that report would be submitted soon,” he added.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Viraj S Tidke said a proper investigation would be undertaken to ascertain the cause of the collapse.

Kharar DSP Karan Singh Sandhu said, “The rescue operation is over and the police are investigating the matter.”

No lessons learnt

Two youths died when a gym-cum-PG accommodation in Sohana collapsed on December 21 amid digging work being carried out in the adjacent plot. The police arrested building owners Parvinder Singh and Gagandeep Singh for culpable homicide. A magisterial probe was ordered into the accident, the report of which was to be submitted in three weeks. “A technical committee is probing the incident in detail. The report is likely to be submitted soon,” said officials concerned.